Thanks & Giving......

Oh, I love this time of year. Fall is my favorite season followed closely by Winter! I love the things we do when Fall rolls around. I always look forward to the cooler days and the crisp nights filled with the smell of wood stoves, when we pull out our wool sweaters and hats. Candle lit nights wrapped in a cozy blanket with a fire in the fireplace, hearty, warm, filling meals and the anticipation of the holidays. I love sharing meals, time and conversation around the table with family. I come from a large family of nine children. Most of us now have children of our own, busy lives and are dispersed around the state, a few are even out of state so we can't get together like I wish we could. I appreciate being able to get together with my family members that are close and the holidays are the perfect time to do that. Thanksgiving just passed and I loved the preparation, the planning and just knowing that we were able to spend some time ALL together. I love the fact that I am able to share these times with my parents and that my parents are able to share them with my children. It is very humbling to see my baby interacting with my father. They have a bond that is at times hysterical to watch and brings a tear to my eye at others. These are the times we slow down to really cherish these moments. We always get a nice fresh turkey and it has to be a big one. Last year we enjoyed a 40 pound one, this year we scaled it back a bit to 35 pounds! Still a good sized turkey, enough to go around with leftovers for everyone. The day was easy and the food was wonderful. My daughters helped me in the kitchen which made it even better. Molly made the pies, Anna prepared the turkey and Emma helped with the side dishes. The conversation was light and fun as we reflected on how close we were to saying goodbye to another year and making plans for Christmas. I always look forward to this time of year, it seems to make me realize how thankful I am for all the things in my life and how lost I would be without the people who hold it all together. I love them all so very much and I wouldn't trade a minute of my crazy, busy life - not one single second!